Linguistics

The author of Wisconsin’s sweeping new reading law said Friday the legislation could get an accompanying bill to clarify how bilingual students are tested. This comes after parents and educators have raised concerns about the law, known as Act 20, and requirements that all testing be conducted in English. “I think some things might need…

Lawrence University professor Rosa Tapia is the new national chief academic consultant for the College Board’s AP Spanish program. In a recent interview with Wisconsin Public Radio’s “The Morning Show,” Tapia said Advanced Placement courses can be a great incentive for students pursuing college. “It can also have a financial impact, reducing or lowering their…

WHYsconsin is all about your questions. We believe community listening is empowering; and at the center of this community-driven reporting project is you. For each story, we try to connect with the person who asked the question. Our goal is to put the public in public radio, and one way to do that is by…

If you look at a map of Wisconsin, you’ll notice the state is full of communities with French names. Portage, Racine, Prairie du Sac, Radisson, Butte des Morts — the list goes on. In fact, Wisconsin used to be pronounced “Ouisconsin.” Which, to be clear, does not translate to “Yes, ‘Sconsin!” This is the French…

Michiganders likely weren’t too happy when the Wisconsin Badgers beat several of its football teams last year; its Upper Peninsula, however, took it in stride — at least it’s unofficial Twitter account did. “It’s official, I belong to Wisconsin now,” the Tweet read, after rattling off the scores. The account even changed its name to…

The combination of letters “w-a-u” appears pretty frequently in the names of places around Wisconsin. Think of the cities of Wauwatosa or Milwaukee. Is that just coincidence? Or something more? Many Wisconsin place names can trace their lineage to one — or several — languages spoken by Native Americans who were in the area at…

Ojibwe is spoken in many First Nation communities in Wisconsin, throughout the Great Lakes region and in many parts of Canada. But as with many indigenous traditions, there is concern that the language will eventually disappear. Ojibwe is taught at three University of Wisconsin System schools — the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee…

Have you ever wondered how Wisconsin got its name? So did Josie Dunn, a fourth-grader in Mineral Point. Her question came to WHYsconsin among a flurry of questions from her Mineral Point Elementary School classmates about the state. Mineral Point Elementary School. Mary Kate McCoy/WPR Questions like, “How did Wisconsin get all of its cows?”…

Everyone loves a good story. It’s engaging. It makes us think, reflect, laugh, or cry. It makes us feel our emotions. And in recent years, there’s been a modern revival in storytelling. This weekend, those stories, along with more traditional folk tales, will take stage at Wisconsin’s only storytelling festival, the La Crosse Storytelling Festival.…

The Madison Metropolitan School District will explore a new way to teach foreign language. One in every 4 Madison public school students is a non-native English speaker, with more than half of those students speaking Spanish at home. In light of that, 10 Madison schools will test out a new type of language immersion program…